Freshwater: Good numbers of bluegill biting around the Polk County area

Fish of the Week

Bluegill — Good numbers of bluegill are still biting around the Polk County area. Most spots are reporting good numbers this week.

Strike Zone, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12,

Around Polk County

1 Around Lakeland, at Tenoroc, bass fishing was best on lakes Halfmoon, Lost Lake West, Waterlou, 10, B and F. Lakes Horseshoe, Shop, 3, 5, A and C also had high catch rates. This past week there were 25 large bass over 19 inches reported. Five bass measured over 22 inches, with the largest close to 24 inches. Speck fishing was best at lakes Legs and B. Lakes Cemetery, Derby, Fish Hook, Horseshoe, Picnic, 3, and 5 had the best panfish bite. Catfish were best at Lakes Cemetery, Derby, Legs and Picnic, reports FWC biologist Paolo Pecora. At Saddle Creek, the bass bite is good on Texas rigged trick worms and ribbontails on the rock piles in 6 to 8 feet of water. Plenty of bluegill and tilapia are being caught along the banks on red worms. Grass shrimp are producing some shellcracker. Good size catfish are biting on chicken liver and night crawlers weighted on the bottom. Around town, Lake Parker is still producing good numbers of bluegill and shellcracker on crickets around shallow vegetation. The bass bite is good there early in the hydrilla on chatterbaits and Zara Spooks. Larger bass are biting frogs in the hydrilla and while flipping the cattails, reports Kyle Stafford at Phillips Bait and Tackle (863-666-2248).

2 At Auburndale, Lake Ariana is producing a decent bass bite for fish up to 5 pounds on shiners, lipless crankbaits and a variety of artificials. Good numbers of bluegill are also biting there. Around Lake Alfred, lakes Haines and Rochelle are producing decent numbers of bass up to 7 pounds. Both lakes are also producing good numbers of bluegill and shellcracker. Lake Alfred has produced bass this week up to 8 pounds on Booyah lipless crankbaits in royalty color, reports Schelfo.

3 At Winter Haven, recreational boating over the holiday weekend slowed the bass fishing on the south chain. A few decent bass were caught early at lakes Summit and Winterset. The canals around the chain are still producing bluegill and shellcracker, reports Schelfo.

4 At Lake Hamilton, with all the rain, the bass bite is good. The middle and little lake are producing the best bite, both early and late in the day. The best bite has been from the middle of the eel and peppergrass lines to the outside lines. The big lake is producing some bluegill around the scattered pads, reports Mickey Ingram at Hoppy’s Marine (863-439-7616).

5 At Lake Marion near Haines City, the bass bite is picking up and an 8 pounder was caught this week. The best numbers have been caught on plastic worms and Senkos. Water is flowing pretty good at Marion Creek and some bass have been caught there. Bluegill are biting in the scattered pads around the lake, reports Ingram.

6 At Lake Pierce, bass up to 5 pounds have been caught mostly on plastic worms. The best numbers are biting early in the morning and then later on in the late afternoon and early evening. There’s still a good bluegill bite in the pads on crickets. Catfish Creek and the area around Trout Point are producing the best numbers, reports Jennings Resort (863-439-3811).

7 At Lake Hatchineha, the lake’s water level is still extremely low and it’s too shallow to navigate around the lake, reports Charlie Wynperle at Bridgemaster Fishing Products (863-676-1009).

8 At Lake Toho, offshore grass at the south end of the lake is still producing good size bass on Zara Spooks and chatterbaits. Offshore grass in Goblits Cove is also producing on Rat-L-Traps and chatterbaits. The outside Kissimmee grass lines are also producing bass, but the offshore grass to the south is producing the larger fish. Bluegill are biting in the pads and Kissimmee grass scattered around the lake, reports Grady Johnson (407-205-6719).

9 At Lake Kissimmee, good numbers of shellcracker are still biting red worms in the pads at Gobbler Ridge and Lemon Point. Recent rains are cooling the water temps a bit. Bass are hitting frog pattern, topwater frogs in the grass and pads early in the morning. Later in the day, break out the flipping stick, reports Wynperle.

10 At Lake Walk-in-the-Water, the water level on the lake is rising and bass are more active, both early and late in the day. Throw a bluegill color River2Sea Whopper Plopper around any isolated cover for the best strikes. Bank anglers are catching their limits of bluegill and shellcracker in the canals at Indian Lake Estates, reports Wynperle.

11 At Crooked Lake at Babson Park, the holiday weekend really slowed the angling action on the lake this week. A few small bass and some bluegill were caught scattered around the lake, reports Cindy Ritchison at Bob's Landing (863-638-1912). Since the weekend, drifting shiners along the grass at the south end of the lake has been producing bass. Mostly bluegill, but some shellcracker are also biting on the bottom around Wirt’s Point in about 12 feet of water, reports Jim Childress of Big Bass Bait & Tackle (352-207-7520).

12 At Frostproof, Lake Clinch has a good bass bite early on topwaters along the grass on the west side. Carolina rigged worms on the brush piles are producing during the day. Plenty of bluegill and a few shellcracker are biting red worms on the bottom at 10 to 12 foot. Lake Reedy is good for bass on topwaters and spinnerbaits along the edges of the grass. Some specks are biting under the lights there at night, around the minnow schools. Big bluegill are biting red worms on the bottom in about 6 feet of water. Lake Arbuckle is producing some bluegill on red worms and bass on shiners from the public dock. The water level is too low there to safely launch a boat, reports Childress.

13 In the phosphate pits near Mulberry, the bass bite is good on shad color ½ oz. and ¾ oz. lipless crankbaits. These lures worked along the hydrilla line breaks, across the island points and over rocky bars are producing good strikes. Pits with shad hatches have been extremely productive. A few bass are also taking junebug red color worms, reports Danny Hamm of Bull Bay Tackle Company. (863-937-3292).

Compiled By: Michael Wilson / Ledger Correspondent

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Freshwater: Good numbers of bluegill biting around the Polk County area